Mr Vegas has continued its expansion in the world of sports sponsorship, securing a further two years as title sponsors of the PDC‘s Grand Slam of Darts and Nordic Darts Masters events for a further two years.
Announcing the decision, Mr Vegas underpinned the importance of the sponsorship when it comes to ensuring channelisation rates are maintained to the regulated market as the climate becomes increasingly challenging.
Marco Trucco, Chief Marketing Officer at Immense Group, the parent company of Mr Vegas, commented: “Darts is the most engaging and accessible sport in the UK and across Europe, and the Grand Slam and Nordic Masters play a central role in that growth. We believe in long-term partnerships built around entertainment and consistency.
“Unfortunately, the new gaming duty will hit the sport leagues and teams that chose to partner with regulated, UK-facing operators, and reward the organisations who are happy to take money from anyone. In that context, our decision to extend our partnership with the PDC is a statement of confidence in the future of legal and safe online gambling in the UK.”
Last year’s Grand Slam of Darts was won by Luke Littler, who achieved a 16-11 victory over Luke Humphries in the final. The event was also a big win for Mr Vegas, alongside its sponsorship of ITV’s Big Brother, as the reality TV show and the darts event helped the operator grow its playerbase.
“The overlap with the Grand Slam of Darts created a perfect storm,” Trucco explained recently to iGaming Expert.
“There was one particular week where we were present across the biggest entertainment show on ITV2 and the biggest sports event on Sky Sports Main Event. That visibility delivered our highest-ever acquisition week and solidified our position as a major player in the UK market.
“The darts final itself couldn’t have been better timed. Luke Humphries, the face of Mr Vegas, rose to superstar status at the same moment that Luke Littler captured the imagination of the sport. We benefitted from a final that every sponsor dreams of.
“On Big Brother, we had a 60-year-old winner in Richard Storry, which aligned perfectly with the demographic that connects most strongly with our brand.”